Highly Configurable Game System

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems for versatile and scalable board games include a double dovetail scalable board, crown, bridge, and door game pieces, tilting mechanisms and game play, rolling sphere game play, and a marble kinetic timer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many elements to a good game: chance and luck, strategy and foresight, experience and skill, dexterity and strength, multi-player and solitaire, short and unending, cooperative and competititive, simple and complex, boring and ultramegawesome!

Current game design is limited by scalability and versatility in game pieces, components, boards, and other components or elements of game components or elements.

What is needed is a game board, game pieces, and/or other game components and elements with increased scalability and versatility.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A scalable game board using double dovetails is disclosed.

The game board may include holes, channels, connecting mechanisms and other topographic features.

In some embodiments, the game board may be two-sided, allowing for even greater versatility.

Versatile game pieces, which may be used for a variety of games, and which may be used in multiple orientations and stacking configurations, may be used to create a variety of game pieces and game play.

A tilting game is disclosed wherein a gameboard may be tilted in multiple directions and is configured to remain in a tilted state indefinitely.

A system is disclosed that facilitates creativity in designing and testing game ideas. The system also supports play of classic games and other games.

A kinetic marble timer is disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary quad.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary configuration for joining multiple quads.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary configuration for joining multiple quads.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative exemplary configuration for joining multiple quads.

FIG. 5a illustrates an exemplary tilting gameboard

FIG. 5b illustrates an exemplary configuration in which multiple quads are joined in a box corner.

FIG. 5c illustrates an exemplary double dovetail joint.

FIG. 5d illustrates a quad with channels.

FIG. 5e illustrates a quad with channels.

FIGS. 6a-f illustrate an exemplary door from various perspectives.

FIGS. 7a-d illustrate an exemplary crown from various perspectives.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary dragon crown.

FIGS. 9a-c illustrate various exemplary bridges.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application No. 62/358,351, filed Jul. 5, 2016, and titled “Highly Configurable Game System,” and which is incorporated herein by reference.

A scalable and versatile game board, along with game pieces and components, methods of play, and ability to create a variety of different games, are disclosed.

In one embodiment, a scalable board unit, or “quad,” may employ a double-dove-tail design for unlimited scalability of game board size. Some embodiments may allow for limited scaling.

In another embodiment, a game board may include a mechanism by which the game board may be tilted toward and or away from any of three or more sides or directions, and by which the game board may remain in a tilted position indefinitely without the need for a human to hold the board in the tilted state.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary quad. In one embodiment, a quad is a square shape, although other shapes could be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention disclosed herein. As shown in FIG. 1, quad 100 may comprise four edges. Although the terms “top,” “left,” “bottom,” and “right” will be used herein to describe and reference quad 100, quad 100 could be rotated without materially altering the substance of the disclosure herein.

As shown in FIG. 1, the left and top sides of quad 100 may include slots 120 a-d, and the right and bottom sides of quad 100 may include inserts 120 e-h. From the perspective shown in FIG. 1, i.e., looking down at quad 100, each of inserts 120 a-d are geometrically complementary to each of slots 120 e-h. In a traditional dovetail configuration, two components with complementary two-dimensional dovetail profiles may be secured to each other in a manner whereby the two components cannot be detached by pulling the two components away from each other. In some embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, a double dovetail design may allow for complementary dovetail inserts and slots to be joined at multiple relative orientations. For example, as shown in in FIG. 5b , using the double dovetail, quads 542, 544, and 546 may be joined at relative orientations other than in a flat orientation, e.g., at 90-degree angles.

The double dovetail is formed by removing a section of material from insert 546 a, shown in FIG. 5c , which is a closeup of region 570. The removed section of material is formed by intersecting a plane containing the line formed by connecting point 547 with point 548, and which is perpendicular to the edge including insert 546 a on quad 546.

Quad 100 further includes full-square holes 130 a-d, half-square holes 140 a-d, and quarter-square hole 150. These holes, i.e., holes 130 a-d, 140 a-d, and 150, are positioned in a grid pattern such that they are equidistant from adjacent holes in the horizontal or vertical directions. A variety of embodiments include any combination of whole, half, and quarter holes as described above such that they form a grid of holes.

Lattice lines 170 a-e and 172 a-d run diagonally, crossing through the centers or square holes 130 a-d, 140 a-d, and 150. In one embodiment, lattice lines 170 a-e and 172 a-d are topographic elements, i.e., having topographic characteristics distinct from the adjacent features on quad 100. For example, lattice lines 170 a-e and 172 a-d may form a topographic formation relative to adjacent holes and areas between hole locations. For example, a lattice line 170 n may comprise a “valley,” “ravines,” which may or may not be flat relative to adjacent features. The diamond-shaped areas within the grid formed by the lattice lines may also comprise topographic features, including but not limited to curves, humps, or hills rising up from lattice lines surrounding the curve, hump or hill. The hills may rise up any amount to best equip players with a surface that is flat enough to not impede marbles rolling down a tilted surface, but textured enough to successfully deposit marbles in or around depressions when the game board is in its horizontal, or neutral un-tilted position. The reverse texture on the opposite side may be used for various other games as it aids in game pieces flowing through the ramped features in combination with ribbing or other features. This disclosure is not limited to having a textured surface and comprises embodiments that are flat boards and play less varied games due to the lack of this surface.

As used herein, “marble” may refer to any sphere or even any object that has rolling properties even though not a perfect sphere.

In some embodiments, lattice lines 170 a-e and 172 a-d may be sufficient depressed to guide marbles or other spheres along such line. In other embodiments, lattice lines may affect marble or sphere motion, but may not be sufficiently depressed to strictly guide marble motion.

Quad 100 may further include channels 160 a-d Each of channels 160 a-d may be a rectangular-shaped channel, or other shape such as but not limited to an oval. Channels 160 a-d may include an opening through quad 100 into the bottom of the quad. FIG. 5d shows openings 581 a-d in quad channels, which openings go through the entire quad. FIG. 5e also shows a channel openings 582 a and 582 b, and door 583 inserted into channel opening 582 b. In some embodiments, openings 581 a may comprise a tapered “slide” extending from one side of the channel, or may comprise a slanted planar “slide” extending from one side of the channel. As will be described herein below, the shape and contours of openings 581 may be geometrically complementary to doors as described herein below.

Channels 160 a-d may be substantially the same width as holes 130 a-d, 140 a-d, and 150, and may have a length slightly less than the horizontal or vertical distance between adjacent holes (of holes 130 a-d, 140 a-d, and 150), such that each of channel 160 a-d is separated from adjacent channels and is thereby distinct.

In this embodiment, holes 130 a-d, 140 a-d, and 150 are at local minima between the adjacent diamonds formed by lattice lines 170 a-e and 172 a-d.

The configuration of quad 100 allows for combining multiple quads, at different relative orientations, to create game boards or components. For example, using the double-dovetailed inserts and slots of quad 100, four identical quads may be combined to create the board 190 shown in FIG. 3 or the board 195 shown in FIG. 4.

Multiple quads such as quad 100 may also be joined at 90-degree angles to form box like game boards or components, or containers. As seen in FIG. 5b , at corner 541 the corners of three exemplary quads 542, 544, and 546 converge by dovetailing inserts and slots of quads 542, 544, and 546 to form a box corner formation.

A quad may be made out of many materials, or compositions of materials, known in the art, e.g., Quads can be made of plastics, polymers, rubbers, foams, ceramics, wood, metal, stone, particle board, cardboard, etc. While obtaining dovetail tolerance requirements to form appropriate connections may work well with injected molded plastic, a variety of methods and materials would do for forming or manufacturing quads. Quads represent the game board, and may come together to form game boards, even entire game boards in one quad.

Boards 190 and 195 may be combined with identical boards to create larger and larger boards, such that quads may be scaled to virtually any size board. Larger versions may also be scaled in another sense to form outdoor or life-sized games. The ability to infinitely scale may be referred to as tessellation.

The holes in quad 100 may include a funnel feature, which may surround a hole in a circular or square pattern, to direct rolling objects, e.g., marbles, in the vicinity of a hole, to role into the hole.

The topographic elements of quad 100, e.g., lattice lines, channels, square holes, and hills, result in variability and apparent randomness for applications such as rolling marbles on quad 100. Marbles when dropped or rolled onto the top surface of a game board will roll around often in seemingly random directions until coining to rest at or near valley and hole locations. This random element introduces a fun characteristic in many kinetic shooting and aiming games where players are attempting to reach specific locations on the board with their marble pieces, often dislodging opponent's pieces, or reaching other game pieces located on or off of the board. When marbles reach a channel they will naturally roll to either side and into or next to one of the adjacent holes. When game boards are tilted, marbles, coins, or other game tokens may roll down the sloped surface of either side of the board, or may be impeded by other game tokens. One side may have features that create very different games than on the opposite side of the board so that players may enjoy a variety of different games. Marbles and other game tokens such as coins may be bounced onto the board, or shot, rolled, spun, or flicked into play from off of the game board or while on the game board surface. Coins may slide out of channels or off the game board entirely. When other game tokens or indentation feature or features surround the perimeter of the game board, marbles are more easily retained in play.

The double dove tail design could be adapted for a variety of angles not limited to the ninety-degree variety, but could compensate for the construction of pyramids or other polyhedrons and three dimensional shapes, as well as assist in a variety of flat counterpart game boards such as triangles and hexagons. This disclosure is not limited to multiple quads forming entire game boards; our game boards may be comprised of one piece and may or may not tessellate or fold into three dimensional configurations.

In some embodiments, because of hills or humps between lattice lines, edges, e.g., 102 and 103, may be curved so to maintain uniform height along the edge.

Tilting

In another embodiment, a game board may have improved versatility through the ability to tilt and remain in a tilted state in multiple directions.

Although the disclosures relating to tilting herein may be implemented and/or applied to many types of gameboards of varying sizes, shapes, and configurations, this disclosure will use the board of FIG. 5 as an example. FIG. 5 shows a board 500, similar to board 195 as shown in FIG. 4, and as described herein with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 5 shows the top of board 500, i.e., the side of board 500 on which game play may take place. In one embodiment, a raised pivot point 520 may be placed and/or secured beneath center point 510, i.e., on the underside of board 500. Pivot point 520 may have a base for resting on a surface such as a table, and may have an upper portion for supporting board 500. For example, raised pivot point 520 may be a cone, game piece, or a double hinge with each hinge moving in one direction (right-left or up-down), or a constraining element that keeps the board from spinning, or placed on a sphere such as a marble with a partial spherical receiver on the underside of board 500 for resting on the marble, or in any means known in the art for supporting board 500 in the center of the underside at point 510. Point 510 in center of the board 190 as shown in FIG. 3.

In one embodiment, the hinge mechanisms on raised pivot point 520 may be tight and/or have friction, such that the hinge is moveable with modest force, but remains in a tilted or non-tilted position after movement with the modest force. For example, a human player may be able to adjust the tilt of board 500 with his or her hand, and when he or she releases the board and ceases to apply force, the board may remain in the position in which the human player left it, i.e., tilted in some direction or un-tilted. In another embodiment, the edges of board 500 may include secured and/or embedded magnets, e.g., at corners 520 a-d. If the base on which board 500 and raised pivot point 520 are resting have complementary magnets, as would result if the base was a board similar to board 500 with similarly embedded or secured magnets, then board 500 may remain tilted through magnetic attraction by bringing magnets at locations 520 a-d in close proximity to the corresponding magnets on the board acting as a base, e.g., acting as a table. Metal bases or other components may be used to attract magnets as well.

Unique to this disclosure is the ability to tilt a game board from one side to the next and maintain this tilt during game play, movement, or other actions and or turns. Propping one edge up with a game token or piece with or without an elevated or securing base mechanism simple, and adjusting its location to subsequent edges or sides would cause a downward tilt from said placement. Securing the center of the game board would allow one to rotate a wheel or wheel-like mechanism underneath the game board resulting in an elevated edge as the wheel rotates about the game. Magnetic and or other mechanical features allow the user to simply touch corners or edges with a temporarily permanent tilt. Any mechanism that maintains a tilt and allows a smooth or not smooth transition from one side to the next would improve the ergonomic and desirable attributes of playing supported tilting games. Magnets when reversed themselves or when entire game boards are reversed act as springs rather than attracted bodies, facilitating games that come to rest in a neutral, elevated, flat, or horizontal state on their own. Springs or other components may also be included to help constrain or maintain these properties.

Crown, Door, and Bridge

Additional game pieces, components, or elements may increase and improve the scalability and versatility of a game. Such pieces include at least a crown piece, a door piece, and a bridge piece.

FIGS. 6a-6f illustrate an exemplary door piece 600. Door piece 600 has many uses and functions. One of the primary uses of door piece 600 is to slide into channel 160 n (i.e., one of channels 160 a-d) to create a blockage to keep game pieces, especially marbles, from exiting a playing board or playing surface, e.g., quad 100 or boards 190 or 195. Door pieces may fit into and remain in said channels using their ‘L’ shaped property as featured in element 610 in conjunction with the angle of this channel which may double as a coin slot for games on the reverse side, or with different channel embodiments, slide strait in as any press fit or gravity constrained feature would allow.

In another alternative, door piece 600 may be inserted into a hole 130 n (i.e., one of 103 a-d, 140 a-d, and 150).

Door pieces may not require feature 610 or 605, but could slide into crown pieces to act as doors between such crown locations. Doors may be placed between any crown locations in this embodiment, instead of being limited to perimeter channel locations. Using a circular or square shaped peg as denoted with 605 the door piece may be moved about the board, and spun, or rotated about hole locations. This feature in conjunction with the throne allows doors to stack on each other, receive and hold marbles, and stack with other game pieces such as crowns and bridges. Doors may be used as probability tokens or dice, and in some embodiments may receive or stabilize lasers or act as laser shooting pieces that project imaginary or real beams that may reflect between other doors pieces, and particularly bridges.

FIGS. 7a-7d illustrate top, bottom, front, and side views, respectively, of a crown piece. A crown may be used as die, and may have several surfaces to land on for throwing probability. In one embodiment, a combination of holes and lines may be used for dice markings or numbers or other symbols and possibly colors may be used. Some game embodiments do not include crowns at all, but feature pivoting or rotating bridges that extend to locations where crowns would otherwise locate.

There are many embodiments of the crown pieces, and they range in capability for holding various numbers of doors and other game pieces such as bridges, as well as probability tokens. They may also serve as tilting mechanisms for many games. Crowns are very important because they may stack in more than two different ways with other crowns, stack on or under bridges, hold marbles, and of course, while in quads, some crown embodiments propagate bridges in up to 17 directions and hold up other quads for hidden maze games as well as tilt the board from underneath in up to eight or more directions or allow game boards to spin when placed in a center hole. When a game piece or pieces, especially crowns, are inserted into the central hole or peg of game boards, they act as the point of a top and allow players to spin the game board on the ground as a top.

Crown stub 710 is sized to fit in hole 130 a-d, 140 a-d, or 150. Stub 710 could be circular or any other shape beyond the square representation.

Crown pedestal 720 is sized, shaped, and formed to support a sphere, e.g., a marble as many other game tokens can do.

Crowns could be formed in many shapes. FIG. 800 shows an exemplary crown with a dragon shape or motif that does not depart of the spirit of this disclosure.

FIGS. 9a-9c illustrate exemplary bridge pieces. Bridges may connect crowns. Bridge pieces may further include one or more stubs for fitting into holes as disclosed herein. As shown in FIG. 9a , bridge 920 may include adapters 921 a and 921 b for connecting to crowns or holes. Bridge 920 may further include channel 922 for rolling or moving marbles or other spheres. Bridge 920 may further include arch 923 to allow for other pieces or items, e.g., another bridge 921, oriented upside-down, to be located underneath bridge 920. The bridges shown in FIGS. 9b and 9c may have similar features. In general, a bridge may also be inserted into the game board, crowns, other bridges with holes, or doors as vertical playing pieces, and may have ether an arc or slot which allows them to cross over each other without any physical interference.

In one embodiment, the quads, pieces, and other components disclosed and described herein may be used to play games involving marbles, or in marble-centric games. For example, marbles may be moved across one or more quads by tilting quads. Marble movement may be enabled or obstructed by placement of doors, crowns, bridges, and other marbles. The topographic features on quads disclosed herein may result in some apparent randomness or unpredictably in marble motion and marble paths, or may result in directed marble movement along topographically defined paths. Additionally, marbles may be placed on top of crowns, doors, or bridges, and may roll across channels on bridges or doors, and may sit in holes.

A person of ordinary skill will appreciate that, by using the quads, boards, pieces, and components described herein, many games of varying rules, and using many sets of pieces, may be played.

Marble Timer

A kinetic marble timer may be formed using a component that may double as a gamepiece organizer. In one embodiment, the timer may be formed from one or forms having a marble track. Based on length, turns, elevation changes, and other features, a timer may be based on the time it takes a marble to traverse a length of track. In one embodiment, the track may be made out of a thermal form. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A gameboard, comprising: a board; a mechanism for tilting by which the board may be tilted toward or away from any one of at least three distinct edges; a mechanism for holding the board indefinitely at rest, in a position tilted toward or away from any one of at least three distinct edges.
 2. The gameboard of claim 1, wherein the gameboard includes patterned securement mechanisms.
 3. The gameboard of claim 2, wherein the patterned securement mechanisms include at least one of extrusions, holes, magnets, and threaded receivers.
 4. The gameboard of claim 1, wherein the patterned extrusions or holes are holes.
 5. The gameboard of claim 1, further comprising channels.
 6. The gameboard of claim 4, wherein the patterned holes are sized such that they hold a rolling object in place.
 7. The gameboard of claim 2, wherein each of the patterned extrusions or holes is configured to secure a bridge, door, or crown.
 8. The gameboard of claim 7, wherein the bridge, door, or crown is stackable with each other and are configured to support at least one rolling object.
 9. The gameboard of claim 8, further comprising features for non-tilting board games.
 10. The gameboard of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for tilting comprises at least one of: a centralized support; an edge support; a magnet system; a wheel and lever system; and an apparatus for rotating the gameboard;
 11. A method, comprising: using a tilting gameboard to play a game; performing an action; cycling the tilting to an adjacent tilted state; wherein the gameboard comprises at least two tilted states.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the gameboard comprises at least two tilted states that are adjacent to each other.
 13. The method of claim 11, where in the gameboard comprises at least three tilted states.
 14. The method of claim 11, wherein: the gameboard includes at least one receiver for a component to affect the motion or position of a rolling object.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the component is one of a crown, a door, or a bridge.
 16. The method of claim, 11 wherein the gameboard maintains that at least three tilted states without human intervention.
 17. An apparatus comprising a double dovetail.
 18. The apparatus of claim 15, comprising at least one double dovetail insert and one double dovetail slot.
 19. The apparatus of claim 16, configured to be joined to one or more apparatuses with complementary double dovetail features to form a full or partial three-dimensional enclosure.
 20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein: the apparatus is a four-sided shape, and the apparatus comprises two sides each with two double dovetail inserts and two sides each with two double dovetail slots. 